Water-wheel



- (No Model.)

J. M. NILSON.

I WATER WHEEL.

Patented NOV. 2'7, 1883.

UNITED STATES,

PATENT 'rricn.

JAMES M. NILSON, OF MAUHEE, INDIANA.

WATER-WH EEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 289,021, dated November 2'7, 1883.

Application filed March 22, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES M. NILsoN, of Maumee, in the county of Jackson and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and 5 useful Improvements in ater-\Vheels; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,

which form part of this specification, in

which- Figure 1 is a side view of my improved spirally-flanged water-wheel and a vertical central section through the case and its adjust-able and fixed caps and fixed base. Fig. 2 is a top view of the adjustable and fixed caps. Fig. 3 is a top view of the wheel and its case without the fixed caps.

This invention relates to improvements in water-wheels of the turbine kind; and it consists in the employment, with a suitable cylindrical case or curb, of a drum which is composed of helical blades or buckets extending from one end of the drum to the other, in

combination with means for cutting oil and regulating the influx of water into the said case, all of which will be fully understood from the following description,when taken in connection with the annexed drawings.

A designates the cylindrical case of the improved water-wheel, which may be two feet in length and three feet in diameter, more or less. Inside of this case is a wheel or cylindrical drum, B, which is constructed with 5 helical flanges or buckets (1., extended from end to end of the drum, and making about one revolution. This drum is cast entire, with its numerous independent helical buckets or flanges tapered to knife-edges c at their up per ends. The upper ends of the buckets or flanges a. are tapered to knife-edges a, and are tangential to the circumference of the central hub, so that there will be little or no obstruction to the entrance of water from the flunie 4.5 or chute. The water acts on the buckets or flanges by impact and also by gravity, and the drum or wheel has the reverse motion of a screw. This drum or wheel B is centrally stepped upon a spider which is suitably secured to the lower end of the case A, and

constructed so that it will not offer any resistance to the flow of water from the case.

On top of the case A, I rigidly secure a circular plate, I), having radial openings through it, like a stove damper or register, and through the center of this plate D extends a pin or shaft, 0, which enters the center of the drum or wheel B and affords a bearing for the upper end thereof. To this shaft 0 a belt-pulley, a gear-wheel, or a crank may be applied for transmitting motion and power to any machinery which it may be desired to drive.

On top of the plate D is another plate. E, which is an exact counterpart of the former, and which is movable about its axis for the purpose of regulating the influx of water from gflume or chute, or for partly cutting off the G designates a circularly-movable segmental plate, which is constructed with radial openings through it corresponding in size and shape to the openings through the plates D and E. The radial bars 0" between the openings through the plates D E G are about onehalf the size of these openings, as shown in Fig. 2. It will be observed that by means of the plate E the openings through the plate D can be closed onehalf or less than one-half; also, that when said openings through plate D are closed one half, by adjusting the segmental plate G, its bars r can be made to close remaining half of the opening through plate D on one side of the wheel. I am thus able to regulate the flow of water to the wheel as may be desired, and to entirely out off the flow on one side or the other of the wheel.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A water wheel, B, having helicallyflanged buckets extending from end to end, and also having the beveled knife-edges a at the upper end, substantially as described, in combination with case A.

2. The combination of the perforated plate D, fixed to the end of the case A, the movable perforated plates E- G, and a helically-flanged water wheel or drum, all constructed and adapted to operate substantially in the manner and for the purposes described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signature in presence'oftwo witnesses.

. JAMES M. NILSON.

Vitnesscs:

Ennnnznn H. Cox, GEO. W. GIBsoN. 

